Method for fabricating panty hose

ABSTRACT

A method for fabricating combination knitted garments such as panty hose and the like wherein a pair of tubular members are shaped and connected in a continuous operation. The stockings of the pair are aligned in a contiguous relationship each with the other and simultaneously cut and sewn continuously along a predetermined path of travel, this cutting and sewing forming a U-shaped seam intermediate a single enlarged welt which defines the waist and crotch portion of a panty. Alternatively, a separate crotch fabric segment may be secured between an enlarged welt portion of each of the stocking members of the pair.

United States Patent Ferrell 2,766,709 l0/l956 3,450,075 R25,360

METHOD FOR FABRICATING PANTY HOSE Inventor: John 0. Ferrell, Randolph, N.C.

Asignee: Tights, Inc.

Filed: Dec. 16, 1968 Appl. No.: 784,017

US. Cl. ..2/224 R Int. Cl. ..A4lb 9/04 FieldolSearch ....2/224, 239, 240, 224 R, 227, 2/243, 238; 1121i 36, 63; 66/177, H6, 17 I; [28/580, 524-529 Relerences Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Stevens ..l [2/63 Bridgeman.... ...l l2/l 36 X Rice ..2/224 3,128,475 4/1964 Rice et al "2/224 3,344,621 l0/ l 967 Gilchrist ..66/ l 75 3,449,932 6/ I969 Fillmore et al ..2/224 X Primary Examiner-H. Hampton Hunter Attorney-B. B. Olive ABSIRACT A method for fabricating combination knitted garments such as panty hose and the like wherein a pair of tubular members are shaped and connected in a continuous operation. The stockings of the pair are aligned in a contiguous relationship each with the other and simultaneously cut and sewn continu ously along a predetermined path of travel, this cutting and sewing forming a U-shaped seam intermediate a single enlarged welt which defines the waist and crotch portion of a parity. Alternatively, a separate crotch fabric segment may be secured between an enlarged welt portion of each of the stocking members of the pair.

l3Clairm, Blindngflgures P'A TI'ENTEBJUL n ma 3,675,247 sum 1 or 2 PRIOR ART PRIOR ART Milli FlG.5(c) new \NVENTOR JOHN o. FERRELL PATENTEDJUL 1 1 m2 SHEET 2 BF 2 INVENTOR JOHN O. FERRELL F|G.8(b)

METHOD FOR FABRICATING PANTY HOSE BACKGROUND, BRIEF SUMMARY AND OBJECTIVES OF THE INVENTION Certain knitted garments, namely combination type garments such as panty hose can be made by a method of manufacture in which two separate parts of the final garment are knitted so that each comprises a first portion for encircling a limb of the wearer and a second integral portion for covering a part of the wearer's body, which latter portion is formed with longitudinal marginal edges wherein the marginal edges of one of the second portions are connected to the marginal edges of the other second portion so that at least part of the two connected portions may encircle the torso of the wearer.

The connection of the two separate portions which may be, for example, a pair of circular knit seamless ladies stockings with an enlarged welt, is frequently accomplished by a slitter first cutting an elongated slit longitudinally with the leg of each stocking member commencing with the welt and extending downwardly for a preselected distance and a searner then sewing the two stockings together along both sides of the slit to form the combination panty-stocking garment. Construction by this method is quite satisfactory, however, the separate, sequential steps of slitting and sewing the stockings together require relatively expensive semi-skilled and/or skilled labor which significantly increases manufacturing costs.

More particularly, present panty hose manufacturing methods include the production of a combination garment in which a pair of circular knit seamless stockings, preferably of nylon, having foot, leg and individual welt portions is integrally combined in a manner like that illustrated in US. Pat. No. Re. 25360 to form a pair of underpants having a crotch portion between the individual, joined stockings of the pair. Because of the limitations mentioned earlier, much effort has been expended to eliminate the separate and independent steps of first cutting and subsequently sewing the U-shaped seam resulting from joining the individual members of the stocking pair to form the underpants. The present invention is a result of those efforts and includes broadly aligning the stockings of a pair each with the other and then simultaneously cutting and sewing the pair together in a predetermined path of travel, which cutting and sewing continuously forms a U-shaped seam defining the crotch portion of a combination panty stocking garment.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that an object of the present invention is to provide a method for the construction of panty hose or similar unitary articles of apparel having a pair of stockings and underpants that eliminate the need for garter attachments and belts.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for simultaneously slitting, sewing and continuously joining a pair of stockings to form a garment suitable to encircle the waist and lower extremities of the wearer.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a method which includes the steps described and eliminates the relatively expensive, independent and separate operations of first cutting and then sewing the stockings together to form a combination panty-stocking garment.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a method of apparel construction that will insure less fabric waste than is experienced in conventional cut and sew operations.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a method of garment construction which may be employed in the fabrication of panty hose and the like wherein a separate crotch fabric segment may be secured between the enlarged welt portion of each of the stockings of the pair.

Yet still another further object of the present invention is to provide a method of garment fabrication wherein costly labor and equipment is eliminated by incorporating as a simultaneous, continuous step the slitting and sewing operation necessary to join the stocking members.

Other objects and many additional attendant advantages of this novel method of garment construction will become more apparent by referring to the following specification taking in conjunction with the accompanying drawing wherein like characters of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

FIGURE DESCRIPTION FIG. I is a perspective fragmentary view of one embodiment of the combination stocking-panty garment which may be constructed by the method comprising the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a stocking pair having enlarged welts the individual members of which are suitable for combining to form the garment shown in FIG. I.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of two stockings with elongated welts, these welts each having a partial longitudinal slit extending downwardly along the stocking leg for a predetermined distance.

FIG. 4 is a perspective fragmentary view of two stocking members slit as shown in FIG. 3 which have been joined together by a U-shaped seam forming a selvage for the slits.

FIG. 5 (a) illustrates the first step of aligning the stocking pair in a welt-to-welt relationship in the construction of a stocking-panty garment such as illustrated in FIG. I utilizing the method constituting the present invention.

FIG. 5 (b) illustrates the positioning of the aligned hosiery pair over a particularly designed cut and sew machine plate to commence the cut and sew step of the method constituting the present invention.

FIG. 5 (c) shows the aligned, partially cut and sewn pair of stockings as they are joined according to the method of the present invention.

FIG. 5 (d) pictures the completion of the panty hose form ed by utilizing the method constituting the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a combination cut and sew machine utilizing the modified and particularly designed plate shown in FIG. 5 (b) for practicing the method constituting the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a somewhat different embodiment of a combination garment formed by utilizing the present invention.

FIG. 8 (a) illustrates the initial step for constructing the garment shown in FIG. 7 by the method constituting the present invention.

FIG. 8 (b) illustrates the combining of a second stocking with a joined stocking and crotch piece by the method constituting the present invention.

FIG. 8 (0) pictures the completion of the garment shown in FIG. 7 which is formed by utilizing the method constituting the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Referring now to the drawings and more particularly to FIG. 1, there is illustrated a conventional combination garment 10 in which individual stockings shown generally as 12 and 14 are united to form a pair of underpants 20. The stockings may be conventional seamless shear stockings (see FIG. 2) preferably fonned of nylon yarn and produced on a standard circular knitting machine. Each stocking includes a foot portion 22, a leg portion 24 and an enlarged or elongated welt portion 26 which may or may not be rimmed with an elastic band as designated 28 in FIG. 2 or interwoven with elastic yarn. Generally, a 15 denier continuous monofilament nylon yarn is used to form the sheer portion of the stocking and 30 denier yarn is desirable for use in combination with the i5 denier yarn in those regions 30 where reinforcement is desirable. Obviously, finer or coarser yarn may be employed at various knitted positions in the fabric, and it is also contemplated that stretch nylon yarn may be used to knit each of the stockings throughout. The upper elongated welt portion is preferably knit on the same circular knitting machine as the leg of the stocking. In the fabrication of the tubular knitted fabric, the welt is formed in the usual manner as is the remainder of the stocking with the exception that the upper welt portion 26 is considerably longer than a conventional welt.

Knitted stockings such as described above are conventionally used in the construction of stocking-panty garments and the like which involves first cutting or slitting longitudinally the welt of the stocking downwardly a preselected distance according to the desired size as illustrated in FIG. 3. The longitudinal slit 32 thus divides the top of the welts 26 of each stocking into a front flap 34 and a rear flap 36 in the manner shown. Thus a pair of stockings, one right and one left leg, in which the welts are slit, may then be placed together with the front flaps 34 and the rear flaps 36 of the stockings aligned and the exposed flap sides sewn together by a continuous seam 38. As shown in FIG. 4, the seam is U-shaped and the two stocking welts are secured along the cut portions to form a single enlarged welt 35 at the top of the stockings that resembles a pair of underpants. The edges of the cut knitted fabric surrounding the slit, which will have a tendency to unravel, are removed by the cutting action of the sewing machine as it sews about the longitudinal slits to join the stockings. This removal of fabric is a waste of material but may be substantially eliminated and a sizable savings accomplished through the use of the method subsequently to be described.

While the prior art method described above has obvious advantages, it will be apparent that the independent and separate steps of first slitting the longitudinal slots in each of the stockings and then seaming about these slots to join the stockings and form a substantially U-shaped seam are timeconsuming and relatively expensive because of the labor involved and the loss of material.

The method comprising the present invention is practiced by first aligning the welts of each of the stockings such as shown in Fig. (a) so that both may be introduced to the present foot 40 of a suitable cut and seaming machine 39 of conventional construction such as shown in FIG. 5 (b). It has been found advantageous to provide a particularly designed machine plate 42 having an extended lip 44 to permit freer manipulation of the stockings during the simultaneous cut and sew operation. While such a plate is helpful and assists in achieving greater production, it will be apparent that the present method can be readily accomplished through the direct efforts of the operator and a conventional cut and sew machine.

Once the welts of the stockings 46 and 48 have been aligned, the simultaneous cutting and seaming operation is in itiated by introducing the two inner contiguous portions 50 and 52 of the stockings to the presser foot 40 of the machine 39 and moving these portions against the sewing and cutting instrumentalities from the well longitudinally downward along the leg of the stockings for a preselected length. When the front flaps 54 of the stockings are joined by this cutting and sewing operation, the rear flaps 56 are pulled downwardly and outwardly over the outer portions of the stockings, held at the welt ends by the operator 58 and generally guided into the sewing instrumentalities until the continuous cutting and sewing operation is complete, the seam is terminated at the welt edges, and the rough fabric edges 60 are removed. Describing the novel method another way, when the operator has cut and sewn the stocking pair downwardly for the desired distance, she or he then rotates the stocking pair in clockwise direction to allow the seaming and cutting operation to continue which will now be toward the outer or upper edge of the welt of the stocking pair along the slit to join the rear flaps which are being held together in alignment. An operator having acquired some experience in practicing the method described above and constituting the present invention may accomplish the entire cutting and sewing operation in approximately one-half the total time heretofore necessary in constructing such garments by conventional two-step techniques. Additionally, because the cutting and seaming operation is simultaneous,

there is less material waste than is normally experienced in the two-step cut and sew process because the seam is formed as the fabric is severed. The reduction of material waste enhances the quality of the finished garment in that there is additional fabric available to provide free movement in the crotch area of the wearer.

To illustrate, commencing the seaming operation at the upper or outer edge of the welts of the contiguous and aligned stocking results in a slit in both stockings two free edges of which are seamed together automatically by the machine and two free edges of which are not yet joined. Note that no fabric has been removed by this initial operation and that only a slit has been formed in the stockings. When the stockings are turned and the simultaneous cutting and sewing operation is continued until the machine again reaches the upper or outer welt edges of the stockings, only a small amount of fabric is lost since it is necessary to be concerned only with the second unattached free edges of the fabric as the machine simultaneously cuts and sews toward the upper edge of the welts. In the conventional operation where slitting occurs first as an independent step followed by the use of an automatic cut and sew machine to run around the formed slit, fabric is removed during both the initial operation commencing at the upper edge of the stocking welts and the second portion of that operation returning to the upper edge of the stocking welts.

A second embodiment of the present invention involves the production of a combination garment designated generally as 60 in FIG. 7 that includes a crotch panel 62 inserted in either the front or rear of the garment between two stockings 64 and 66 so that a fuller crotch portion for the garment is provided.

A crotch piece of any desired shape, usually in the form of a triangle such as shown in FIG. 7 as 62, can be incorporated in a panty-stocking garment in the same one-step cut and sew manner previously described by first securing the crotch panel 62 along one edge 68 to a single stocking such as shown in FIG. 8 (a). The seam 70 is formed by joining the front flap 72 of this stocking to the edge 68 of the crotch piece 62 and con tinuing the sewing operation until the seam has run out along the leg of the stocking, Once the crotch piece 62 and first stocking 64 have been connected, a continuous cut and sew process is employed to combine the second stocking 66 to the first stocking 64 and crotch panel 62 and join all components to define a panty section as illustrated.

The continuous operation of joining both stocking members to form a panty hose with a separate crotch panel requires the alignment of both stocking members 64 and 66 along the welt portion and the simultaneous cutting and sewing of the second stocking 66 and crotch piece 62 until the seam extends to the lower end of the crotch piece. At this point, there is no interru tion in the sewing operation, and the two rear flaps 74 formed in each of the stockings are pulled downwardly and outwardly, aligned and held by the operator 76 as the seam is continued to close the waist portion of the garment and provide material sufficient to encircle the torso of a wearer substantially as discussed previously. To summarize, one edge of the crotch piece is attached to one stocking (the stocking is slit and one edge is attached to the crotch piece) by a continuous cut and sew operation. Then the second stocking is attached to the previously joined crotch piece and stocking in a continuous operation similar to the gussetless technique previously described. The free edge of the crotch piece is joined to the second unattached stocking in a continuous operation whereby the second stocking is slit and the edge of the crotch piece and one free edge of the stocking are joined together until the free edge of the crotch piece has been entirely secured to the second stocking. Then the stockings are reoriented and the seaming and cutting operation is continued in a direction toward the outer or upper edge of the stocking welts until both stockings are secured together in the manner previously described. The continuous operation of joining a crotch piece and connected first stocking to the second stocking by cutting and sewing these components simultaneously is an equal if not greater savings over conventional construction techniques than the gussetless method previously described.

Thus, there has been described a process for fabricating panty hose and the like of differing styles wherein independent stocking members are combined by a simultaneous and continuous cut and sew operation to form a combination garment like that illustrated and described. The method may obviously be used to construct tights, leotards and the like with equal effectiveness. While the method described represents the preferred steps of this novel process, it will be understood that the foregoing disclosure is illustrative only and that various changes in each of the steps recited as well as other details of the method may be made without departing from the spirit and purpose thereof.

I claim:

1. The method of making a garment of knit fabric construction with two elongated knit hosiery blanks having leg and elongated upper portions terminating in an open end comprising the steps of placing two uncut blanks against each other in side by side relation at least in the upper portions and aligning at least one point of the edges of each upper portion, feeding the upper portions of the blanks in a first directed path of travel substantially along the length of the blanks while retaining alignment of the blanks at least in the upper portions, simultaneously cutting and sewing the two blanks together from said open end for a predetermined distance in the same operation, wherein one side of said out is sewn for said predetermined distance in the upper portions and then sewing the two blanks together along the other side of said cut thereby forming the panty portion of the garment.

2. A method of making a garment of knit fabric construction, comprising the steps of:

a. knitting a pair of tubular members, each including a leg portion and an upper portion terminating in an open end;

b. positioning said members together with respective edges of said open ends aligned, with said upper portions unfolded and disposed adjacent to and external of each other and with selected longitudinal elements of the respective upper portions being arranged generally parallel to the longitudinal axes thereof, adjacent and generally parallel to each other;

e. longitudinally machine seaming said positioned members from the open ends of said upper portions along said longitudinal elements thereof to a predetermined crotch point proximate said leg portion to provide a seam joining said longitudinal elements and during said seaming as part of the same continuous machine operation longitudinally machine slitting said elements of both members adjacent to and for the length of the seam whereby in the same such machine operation a first respective longitudinal slit edge on each member is formed and also joined by said seam, a second respective longitudinal slit edge on each said member of the same length as the first is formed but not joined and none of said first and second edges are trimmed;

d. positioning said respective unjoined second slit edges together in parallel alignment while retaining said members in the machine used to perform said seaming and slitting; and

. longitudinally machine seaming said positioned second edges together from said predetermined crotch point to a point proximate said open ends of said upper portions to provide a seam joining said second edges as a continuation of the seam joining said first edges, said steps being effective to produce a garment with the upper seamed portions of the pair of tubular members defining the waist and crotch sections of the garment and with the leg portions of the pair of tubular members defining the leg portions of the garment.

3. A method of making a garment of knit fabric construction, comprising the steps of:

a. knitting a pair of tubular members, each including a leg portion and an upper portion terminating in an open end;

b. positioning said members together with respective edges of said open ends aligned, with said upper portions unfolded and disposed adjacent to and external of each other and with selected longitudinal elements of the respective upper portions being arranged generally parallel to the longitudinal axes thereof, adjacent and generally parallel to each other;

c. longitudinally machine seaming said positioned members from the open ends of said upper portions along said longitudinal elements thereof to a predetermined crotch point proximate said leg portion to provide a seam joining said longitudinal elements and during said seaming as part of the same continuous machine operation longitudinally machine slitting said elements of both members adjacent to and for the length of the seam whereby in the same such machine operation a first respective longitudinal slit edge on each member is formed and also joined by said seam, a second respective longitudinal slit edge on each said member of the same length as the first is formed but not joined and none of said first and second edges are trimmed,

d. positioning said respective unjoined second slit edges together in parallel alignment while retaining said members in the machine used to perform said seaming and slitting; and

e. longitudinally machine seaming said positioned second edges together from said predetermined crotch point to a point proximate said open ends of said upper portions to provide a seam joining said second edges as a continuation of the seam joining said first edges and during said seaming of said second edges as part of the same continuous machine operation machine trimming said second edges adjacent to and for the length of the seam joining said second edges whereby in said last operation said second edges are both joined and trimmed,

said steps being effective to produce a garment with the upper seamed portions of the pair of tubular members defining the waist and crotch sections of the garment and with the leg portions of the pair of tubular members defining the leg portions of the garment.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein said seaming, slitting and trimming steps are performed substantially continuously and as part of an overall substantially continuous single machine operation.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein said garment comprises a panty hose, said tubular members comprise stockings, and said upper seamed portions form the panty section and said leg portions the hose portions of said panty hose.

6. The method of forming a garment from a pair of knitted tubular members each having an upper open end portion and a lower leg portion, comprising the steps of:

a. positioning a pair of the tubular members upper portions in a contiguous relationship external of each other and which brings selected upper portion longitudinal elements of the respective members together, substantially parallel and with the respective upper end edges of the elements aligned;

. simultaneously slitting and sewing in the same operation the tubular members along a preselected first path of travel from the upper portions edges substantially longitudinally of the members to a predetermined crotch point proximate said lower leg portions; and

c. simultaneously trimming and sewing in the same operation the tubular members along a second preselected path of travel commencing at said crotch point and terminating at a point proximate said upper edges to thereby slit and sew simultaneously along the first path and trim and sew simultaneously along the second path both tubular members and form a continuous substantially U-shaped seam defining the waist and crotch portion of said garment.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6 wherein the slitting and sewing operation along the second preselected path of travel is uninterrupted from the trimming and sewing operation along the first path of travel.

8. The method as claimed in claim 7 wherein the simultaneous slitting and sewing operation along the first path of travel joins the contiguous panels of the tubular members along from flaps formed as the members are slit.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8 wherein the simultaneous trimming and sewing operation along the second path of travel joins the contiguous panels of the tubular members along rear flaps formed as the members are cut.

10. The method of forming a combination garment from a pair of tubular members each having welt and leg portions with the welt porterminating in an open end comprising: searning a crotch piece along a first edge thereof to one of the tubular members downwardly from its open end as the member is simultaneously slit downwardly substantially longitudinally for the length the crotch piece first edge in the same operation; seaming the second tubular member downwardly from its open end to a second edge of the crotch piece and simultaneously slitting the second member for the length of that second edge during the same operation; pulling the edges of the rear flaps formed after the crotch piece has been secured to both tubular members downwardly and outwardly and in alignment; and while holding said flap edges aligned seaming the flap edges until the continuous seam is extended from the crotch piece to the members outer ends.

11. The method as claimed in claim 10 wherein a continuous seam is formed from the outer end of the second member downwardly along the length of the crotch piece and upwardly substantially parallel to the earlier formed seam to the members outer ends.

12. The method as claimed in claim 1, including an intermediate step following the said sewing of one side of said cut, of folding said upper portions of said blanks downwardly around said leg portions thereof and then performing said sewing of the two blanks together along the other side of said cut after said upper portions are so folded.

13. The method as claimed in claim 2, including the additional step between the step of longitudinally seaming said positioned members and the step of positioning said respective unjoined second slit edges, of folding said upper portions of said blanks downwardly around said leg portions to expose said unjoined second slit edges.

1' l I! i UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3 247 Dat d J 1Y IL 1972 InventorQi) John O. Ferrell It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Col. 3, line 7, after the word "like" there should be inserted -by a prior art technique- Col. 3, line 37, "present" should be -presser- Col. 3, line 63, after the word "in" there should be inserted -a-.

C01. 4, line 42, "panel" should be -piece-.

Col. 7, line 17, after "length" there should be inserted -of-.

Signed and sealed this 15th day of May 1973.

(SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD M.FLETCHER,JR. ROBERT GOTTSCHALK Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents 

1. The method of making a garment of knit fabric construction with two elongated knit hosiery blanks having leg and elongated upper portions terminating in an open end comprising the steps of placing two uncut blanks against each other in side by side relation at least in the upper portions and aligning at least one point of the edges of each upper portion, feeding the upper portions of the blanks in a first directed path of travel substantially along the length of the blanks while retaining alignment of the blanks at least in the upper portions, simultaneously cutting and sewing the two blanks together from said open end for a predetermined distance in the same operation, wherein one side of said cut is sewn for said predetermined distance in the upper portions and then sewing the two blanks together along the other side of said cut thereby forming the panty portion of the garment.
 2. A method of making a garment of knit fabric construction, comprising the steps of: a. knitting a pair of tubular members, each including a leg portion and an upper portion terminating in an open end; b. positioning said members together with respective edges of said open ends aligned, with said upper portions unfolded and disposed adjacent to and external of each other and with selected longitudinal elements of the respective upper portions being arranged generally parallel to the longitudinal axes thereof, adjacent and generally parallel to each other; c. longitudinally machine seaming said positioned members from the open ends of said uPper portions along said longitudinal elements thereof to a predetermined crotch point proximate said leg portion to provide a seam joining said longitudinal elements and during said seaming as part of the same continuous machine operation longitudinally machine slitting said elements of both members adjacent to and for the length of the seam whereby in the same such machine operation a first respective longitudinal slit edge on each member is formed and also joined by said seam, a second respective longitudinal slit edge on each said member of the same length as the first is formed but not joined and none of said first and second edges are trimmed; d. positioning said respective unjoined second slit edges together in parallel alignment while retaining said members in the machine used to perform said seaming and slitting; and e. longitudinally machine seaming said positioned second edges together from said predetermined crotch point to a point proximate said open ends of said upper portions to provide a seam joining said second edges as a continuation of the seam joining said first edges, said steps being effective to produce a garment with the upper seamed portions of the pair of tubular members defining the waist and crotch sections of the garment and with the leg portions of the pair of tubular members defining the leg portions of the garment.
 3. A method of making a garment of knit fabric construction, comprising the steps of: a. knitting a pair of tubular members, each including a leg portion and an upper portion terminating in an open end; b. positioning said members together with respective edges of said open ends aligned, with said upper portions unfolded and disposed adjacent to and external of each other and with selected longitudinal elements of the respective upper portions being arranged generally parallel to the longitudinal axes thereof, adjacent and generally parallel to each other; c. longitudinally machine seaming said positioned members from the open ends of said upper portions along said longitudinal elements thereof to a predetermined crotch point proximate said leg portion to provide a seam joining said longitudinal elements and during said seaming as part of the same continuous machine operation longitudinally machine slitting said elements of both members adjacent to and for the length of the seam whereby in the same such machine operation a first respective longitudinal slit edge on each member is formed and also joined by said seam, a second respective longitudinal slit edge on each said member of the same length as the first is formed but not joined and none of said first and second edges are trimmed; d. positioning said respective unjoined second slit edges together in parallel alignment while retaining said members in the machine used to perform said seaming and slitting; and e. longitudinally machine seaming said positioned second edges together from said predetermined crotch point to a point proximate said open ends of said upper portions to provide a seam joining said second edges as a continuation of the seam joining said first edges and during said seaming of said second edges as part of the same continuous machine operation machine trimming said second edges adjacent to and for the length of the seam joining said second edges whereby in said last operation said second edges are both joined and trimmed, said steps being effective to produce a garment with the upper seamed portions of the pair of tubular members defining the waist and crotch sections of the garment and with the leg portions of the pair of tubular members defining the leg portions of the garment.
 4. The method of claim 3 wherein said seaming, slitting and trimming steps are performed substantially continuously and as part of an overall substantially continuous single machine operation.
 5. The method of claim 3 wherein said garment comprises a panty hose, said tubular members comprise stockings, and said upper seamed portions form the panty section aNd said leg portions the hose portions of said panty hose.
 6. The method of forming a garment from a pair of knitted tubular members each having an upper open end portion and a lower leg portion, comprising the steps of: a. positioning a pair of the tubular members upper portions in a contiguous relationship external of each other and which brings selected upper portion longitudinal elements of the respective members together, substantially parallel and with the respective upper end edges of the elements aligned; b. simultaneously slitting and sewing in the same operation the tubular members along a preselected first path of travel from the upper portions edges substantially longitudinally of the members to a predetermined crotch point proximate said lower leg portions; and c. simultaneously trimming and sewing in the same operation the tubular members along a second preselected path of travel commencing at said crotch point and terminating at a point proximate said upper edges to thereby slit and sew simultaneously along the first path and trim and sew simultaneously along the second path both tubular members and form a continuous substantially U-shaped seam defining the waist and crotch portion of said garment.
 7. The method as claimed in claim 6 wherein the slitting and sewing operation along the second preselected path of travel is uninterrupted from the trimming and sewing operation along the first path of travel.
 8. The method as claimed in claim 7 wherein the simultaneous slitting and sewing operation along the first path of travel joins the contiguous panels of the tubular members along front flaps formed as the members are slit.
 9. The method as claimed in claim 8 wherein the simultaneous trimming and sewing operation along the second path of travel joins the contiguous panels of the tubular members along rear flaps formed as the members are cut.
 10. The method of forming a combination garment from a pair of tubular members each having welt and leg portions with the welt porterminating in an open end comprising: seaming a crotch piece along a first edge thereof to one of the tubular members downwardly from its open end as the member is simultaneously slit downwardly substantially longitudinally for the length the crotch piece first edge in the same operation; seaming the second tubular member downwardly from its open end to a second edge of the crotch piece and simultaneously slitting the second member for the length of that second edge during the same operation; pulling the edges of the rear flaps formed after the crotch piece has been secured to both tubular members downwardly and outwardly and in alignment; and while holding said flap edges aligned seaming the flap edges until the continuous seam is extended from the crotch piece to the members outer ends.
 11. The method as claimed in claim 10 wherein a continuous seam is formed from the outer end of the second member downwardly along the length of the crotch piece and upwardly substantially parallel to the earlier formed seam to the members outer ends.
 12. The method as claimed in claim 1, including an intermediate step following the said sewing of one side of said cut, of folding said upper portions of said blanks downwardly around said leg portions thereof and then performing said sewing of the two blanks together along the other side of said cut after said upper portions are so folded.
 13. The method as claimed in claim 2, including the additional step between the step of longitudinally seaming said positioned members and the step of positioning said respective unjoined second slit edges, of folding said upper portions of said blanks downwardly around said leg portions to expose said unjoined second slit edges. 